BJP councillors smell a rat in MC’s street-furniture tender

Even as officials of the advertisement wing of the municipal corporation are tight-lipped over the financial tender for the state-of-the-art street furniture project, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillors are already opposing the bid that was made by just one private firm.

Even as officials of the advertisement wing of the municipal corporation are tight-lipped over the financial tender for the state-of-the-art street furniture project, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillors are already opposing the bid that was made by just one private firm.

The BJP alleged that the bid placed by a private firm is too low and the MC would face loss. Some BJP councillors are demanded cancellation of the bid, since they smell a rat in it.

“A firm has placed a bid to raise street furniture and it will pay just `2.55 crore for displaying advertisements at 1,146 points for seven years. It is too low,” said Inder Agarwal, a BJP councillor.

“In 2014, another private firm had offered `2.52 crore for displaying advertisements at 122 points for a short-term advertisement project for six months. But the MC had not entered into agreement with that firm,” said Inder Agarwal.

“MC officials should not favour any firm to allow them displaying advertisements at rates which are too low. We have learnt that the MC is going to enter into agreement with new firm at very low rates and if it allows then it seems it is a scam,” Agarwal claimed.

In December 2014, a firm had made bid for this project but the MC had opened only technical bid. However, MC officials had delayed the opening of the financial bid.As the financial bid was opened on Monday, the BJP councillors have asked the MC to bring in transparency and cancel the bid if the firm has offered a low amount.

The BJP has also warned the MC officials that they will stage protest if the bid was not cancelled.

MC officials, on the other hand, claimed that documents will be forwarded to the consultant firm.

“I had also raised question over the working of a consultant company of the MC but no inquiry was made. We will not allow anyone to cause losses to the MC,” Agarwal further claimed.

Under the project, the selected firm is supposed to set up and maintain the street furniture, including 80 bus queue shelters, 65 public utilities such as drinking water facilities and toilets, 87 vending kiosks, 51 garbage stations and 38 police booths. Besides, 183 dustbins, 223 benches and over 250 unipoles will be installed across the city under the project.

When contacted, additional commissioner Rishipal Singh said, “We have forwarded the firm’s documents to our consultant company. The financial bid has not been approved and a decision regarding this will be taken only after consulting the company.”

“A single company had placed bid but I can’t reveal the amount of bid. The consultant firm will analyse it and thereafter we will take the required step,” he said.